“My impression is that Cruz is playing a long game. He is content to raise money and travel the country beating the ground to gain grass root support. I think he is waiting for the herd to thin out and trying to build enough support to advance with the final group. Once the herd is thinned, I would look for him to start firing a bit more.”
I think your impression is correct. He would look like a whiner if he complained about the obvious limits of his time. His name is rarely spoken on Fox. He understands the timeline of the election. He shows his class, his knowledge and his obvious huge IQ. When the pack thins, he will be near the top like great runners who bide their time and sprint at the end.
But even a long game needs to build momentum or acquire it very quickly by an important primary win. Unless his ground game is extraordinary in Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina, it’s hard for me to see how he’s going to win.